


A Proper Understanding

by LRThunder



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-02
Updated: 2016-02-02
Packaged: 2018-05-17 21:17:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,357
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5885521
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LRThunder/pseuds/LRThunder
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>As a portrait, Snape learns he can still be surprised.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Proper Understanding

When I opened my eyes, I expected to still be in the Shrieking Shack or the Hospital Wing. Instead, I was in the Headmaster's Office. Unfortunately, judging by my point of view, I wasn't behind the desk, but above it. If I was looking at the office from that vantage point, then I was a portrait and that meant I was dead.

 

When the Dark Lord had summoned me, I fully expected to die. I only hoped my death was slow enough to give me time to give Potter necessary information. Judging by the fact that I was a portrait, I can safely assume that the Dark Lord was dead. I doubt he would honor me enough to have me enshrined in a portrait.

 

"Welcome back, Severus," a familiar voice called from my left.

 

I growled and turned to face Albus Dumbledore. Sure enough, his eyes were twinkling with their usual mirth. I examined my portrait body. "At least they had the decency of me wearing my favorite robes. How long has it been? A day? A week?"

 

"Five years," Dumbledore said.

 

I stared at him. "Five years? But shouldn't my portrait have appeared once I was dead?"

 

"That's correct, Severus, but there was some question of whether you deserted your post," another headmaster said, one whom I didn't recognize offhand.

 

"Then how am I here?"

 

"I think you can guess," Armando Dippet replied, chuckling.

 

There was only one person who would have felt the responsibility to do this: Potter. "I hope he doesn't expect me to thank him," I growled.

 

Dumbledore's eyes continued twinkling. "Don't worry. Harry's expectations are realistic. Besides, he wasn't the only one to make sure your portrait was placed there."

 

That aroused my curiosity. "Who was it?"

 

"Someone you would least expect," Dumbledore said mysteriously.

 

I rolled my eyes. "Wake me up when you want to tell me."

 

* * * * * *

 

I spent most of my time asleep, especially when students were brought to McGonagall for discipline. I knew she wouldn't want my advice, especially if the students were Gryffindors. Unfortunately, my predecessors were only too willing to recommend specific punishments to her, especially Phineas. "When I was headmaster, we weren't that soft," Phineas would say.

 

"Maybe, but later headmasters actually had humanity," Dippet would retort. I could hear Dumbledore's chuckles at their back-and-forth banter.

 

My standoffishness, though, got on my colleagues' nerves. It got to the point where the other portraits actually started forming a committee on how to compel my participation. "It's your job to give advice to the current Head of Hogwarts," a witch chided me.

 

"Fine. The next time a student has to face Minerva, I'll talk to her. But I'll say I told you so if she refuses to listen to me," I warned them. I hoped I wouldn't regret my decision.

 

* * * * * *

 

The years passed, and Minerva was no longer Headmistress. That was a pity. Despite our disagreements, she was more than capable. She wasn't Albus Dumbledore, but then who was? Her successor was worse at his post than Longbottom was at Potions, and that's saying something. Even my fellow portraits were growing exasperated at his ineptitude.

 

I heard rumors that the Board of Governors were going to fire the Headmaster. If so, it wouldn't be a moment too soon. I think all of Hogwarts' Houses would celebrate at that news. Today was another example of his ineptitude.

 

All three of Potter's children were in the office, accompanied by their parents. They had been summoned because of a prank the eldest had pulled. From snippets of conversations I overheard, I surmised that he had hoodwinked his younger siblings into joining the prank. Now, that doesn't mean the Headmaster was inept, but how he was handling it did.

 

When the Potters arrived in the office, he looked disheveled. He kept pushing parchment over his desk. Assuming I was in a charitable mood, I would say Potter's reputation had preceded him and that the Headmaster didn't want to get on his bad side. But since I don't want to be charitable, I'm going to say that he's a complete dunderhead.

 

Finally, Potter sighed, said something to his wife and left the office. "Mr. Potter is probably going to get Professor Longbottom," Dippet said. I initially thought that was a horrible idea, then realized Longbottom could actually do a better job at handling this than his boss. That, however, isn't an endorsement of Longbottom for the Headmaster's place.

 

A few minutes later, Potter indeed returned with Longbottom. They conferred with the Headmaster, while Mrs. Potter kept a sharp eye on her children. To their credit, the youngest two at least looked guilty, but the oldest one continued to smirk. That was definitely James Potter's grandson.

 

I continued watching as Potter gestured to his children to go with him. Mrs. Potter talked to her husband, who nodded. I didn't pay a lot of attention as the group left the office. The Headmaster looked as though he had his tail tucked between his legs. 

 

It was only when I felt Mrs. Potter's stare that I realized she was still in the office. I tried to ignore her, but she continued looking at me with a fierce determination. I winced. She looked a lot like Lily, but she was as far from being Lily as possible. When she was my student, I realized she and Potter would be destined for one another even if Potter hadn't had the wits to see it yet.

 

"Can I help you with something, Mrs. Potter?" I asked.

 

"Ginny. You can call me Ginny," she said.

 

"Okay, Ginny," I said tersely. "I'm very busy, so please get on with what you have to say."

 

"I just wanted to say thank you."

 

I raised my eyebrows. "For what?"

 

"For what you did during the war."

 

"That's funny. I remember you glaring at me when I caught you sneaking out of this office with the Sword of Gryffindor," I said dryly.

 

"And yet, you surprised me when you only gave us detention with Hagrid in the Forbidden Forest. I thought I didn't hear you correctly. Neville suspected that we'd be handed to the Carrows on a silver platter," she replied calmly. "At first, I thought you weren't feeling well."

 

"Seeing students breaking into my office will tend to have that effect."

 

"Then I talked to Harry after the battle. Don't worry, he didn't tell me any specifics of your memories."

 

"Good," I said darkly, "because I didn't give those to him so he could tell everyone else."

 

Ginny smiled. "Harry did say something when he was battling Voldemort, but he didn't go into specifics. Do you want to know what else convinced me about your role in the war?"

 

"What's that?"

 

"Harry himself. The two of you didn't get along, so his endorsement of you swayed a lot of people. While he was talking to the Board of Governors, I helped Professor McGonagall make room in the office…"

 

I sat up straight in my chair. "Wait a minute. It was you! You were the one to get my portrait hung here!"

 

"It was the both of us, but yes, I helped," she said. She turned to face the door. "I just wanted to stay for a couple of minutes and express my appreciation for what you did."

 

I stared at her for a minute before I finally said, "You're welcome."

 

Ginny opened the door and was about to leave when she stopped. She turned back around and faced me. "There is one more thing. I take it you know what we named our children."

 

I grimaced. "You named your oldest son after his grandfather and your daughter after her grandmother. I have to say they're proper names."

 

"And our youngest son is Albus Severus."

 

I stared at her again. "You named him after me?"

 

Ginny nodded. "Ron thought we were mental. Besides, do you really think that would be our son's name if I hadn't supported Harry's decision?" She left before I could reply. 

 

As I sat back in my chair, I realized I had a lot of thinking to do.

 

The End


End file.
